I always enjoy seeing a bit into the background of other writers and their process so I thought I would share some with you. I’ve shared a small piece of my novel only once before, and I am challenging myself to share more with you. Below you will find a scene which always gets me excited when I read over it.
“My Grace, you look flushed!”
“I should be, I have been dancing for hours!” She sat down beside Nettie taking a sip of the crisp white wine letting her eyes trail about her. She found him, back on the dance floor with his hands leading a stunning golden-haired girl with hazel eyes in a twirl. She felt her stomach drop and realised she wanted him to be hers, and only hers. Her body was overcome with a sense of jealousy she never knew before, and thoughts of ripping this girl out of his arms and off the dance floor came to mind. She shook her head and turned her attention back to Nettie. “Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked to distract herself.
“I am having the best of times; it is amazing what happens when you are acquainted with the Queen” she joked, and Sophia had to laugh. Of course, Nettie would be having a completely different experience than the usual balls and celebrations she attended, she, being the particular friend of the bride and the Queen.
“Well, I hope you use it to your full advantage, you never know when it might happen again”. Sophia winked at her and relaxed into her seat. She realised that she could be herself with Nettie, and felt a kindred connection to her.
Nettie was a woman from the village and had lived her entire life in the shire, and knew that attaching herself to the Queen would bring a new level of interest from the men she had grown up next to, which were currently eyeing and nodding towards Sophia in curiosity. Nettie didn’t have anything striking about her, and being almost one and twenty as well as unmarried meant that she wasn’t exciting enough to catch the attention of anyone so far. But Nettie had a feeling that this evening was going to change things for her.
“How about you, My Grace, are you enjoying yourself? I hope our small village men aren’t a bore to you.” She smiled at Sophia with an eyebrow crooked in question.
Sophia noticed that the room was buzzing in conversation. By this point in the evening, almost everyone had forgotten they were there to celebrate the bride and groom, and the women were talking about Sophia while the men were looking in her direction waiting for an opportunity to speak with her. She could see through them; they saw women as a something to be owned. And it wasn’t just the men in the village; it was mostly men that she encountered only saw her as something to conquer and never bothered to reveal their true selves to her. It didn’t sit well with her.
Turning her attention away from the men resting against the walls of the hall she turned to the couples on the dance floor and saw the one man who didn’t look at her as a way to achieve all his wants and desires. However, he was currently occupied entertaining a fair-faced woman whose gaze was turned upon him with deep love and affection. William’s gaze was filled with a tenderness made her chest ache in yearning. Sophia had never received a look like that let alone a touch from a man that let her know he cherished her. Pulling herself away from the scene before her she returned her attention to Nettie; she couldn’t bear to watch William when he was looking at another woman like that.
“Like you, I am having a wonderful time. I always enjoy dancing the night away. But it is nice to sit and refresh myself. The night can pass by so quickly that I soon realise that I haven’t even tasted the feast they’ve prepared!”
“You’ve already missed the feast, My Grace, all that is left is chocolate dessert”. Nettie jumped to her feet and pulled Sophia up along with her, “come, let’s go and see what we can find” and directed her towards the back of the hall. Sophia discovered that what she needed more than a glass of wine or dessert was to feel some fresh air on her face. “Will you be sorry if I stepped out for a moment? I’ll come back and find you,” and stepped away from Nettie, disappearing into the crowd.
Sophia scooped her dress off the floor and walked quickly, letting the music fade behind her. Her shoes clicked on the floor, and her shadow followed along from the torches anchored into the wall as she made her way down the stone hallway leading towards a pair of large wooden doors. She pushed both doors open and felt the air rush to meet her, almost taking her breath away, as she came onto a beautifully manicured terrace overlooking the quiet village below.
The moon was bright in the clear sky illuminating the country landscape around her. There were lines of carriages on the gravel lane and men outside drinking and hollering at each other waiting for guests inside to stumble their way to them. Large potted evergreens lined the arched stone balcony, and behind her, the stone hall glowed through paned glass windows. Taking a tremendous inhale, she leaned against the balcony railing, releasing the tense emotions she had felt throughout the day.
She heard the doors open behind her and wondered if Nettie had followed her. Taking a breath to steady herself he turned to find William standing before her. His hair all over his head in a wild way, his shirt damp from the heat in the room was firm against his chest showing off his firm muscles whenever he took a breath. Seeing him in his kilt regalia of soft jade and cream tartan had her insides melting. Her desires were much more significant than she allowed herself to admit and knew she would have him in her tent and bare herself naked to him if she could.
“You left rather quickly; I wanted to make sure you were okay”. He looked her over and saw she was flushed and in good spirits.
“I am well, thank you, Mr Fitzgerald. I have been dancing for hours and needed some air, it can get stuffy in halls with all the smoke and drinking,” she smiled at him, “I hope you have been enjoying yourself. The bride and groom have been so generous to invite me”. She didn’t dare move towards William even though her body was pulsing with magnetic energy towards him, almost against her will. William’s feet were firmly planted just past the threshold, and he stared at her with his arms heavy by his side. She watched his mind working behind his sapphire eyes, his jaw flexing and unflexing, while his thumb and finger rubbed together and almost moved her feet towards him.
“Come,” he said in a whisper with his eyes soft, he turned his palm out towards her “You should go inside.” He nodded his head in the direction of the hall, and she paced herself as she took steps towards him. The electric pulse grew stronger as he placed his hand on the small of her back the warmth of vitality poured through every layer of her skin, past her muscles awakening the desire even further.
The torches rolled low on their wicks once he fastened the door behind them and she turned to find his eyes blazing blue, sparkling in the glow. He slipped his hand into hers, “Come” he commanded once more and directed her down the hallway before opening a dark wooden door on the left with a staircase ablaze with torches. A hot heat caressed her face that matched the heat radiating from her body and felt wetness slide between her breasts. He led her up the stairs and, she willingly followed, knowing they were beginning something that couldn’t be stopped.